City provides update on ambulance service transition
The City of Spruce Grove is providing residents with an update on the planned transition of ambulance service delivery from the City’s current contracted Integrated Services model to the Government of Alberta’s Emergency Health Services (EHS), currently scheduled to take effect November 1, 2026.
At its October 13 meeting, Council received additional information regarding the decision, reviewed common questions raised by residents, and discussed what the transition means for emergency medical services in Spruce Grove moving forward.
Emergency medical care will continue
The most important thing for residents to know is that quality emergency medical care in Spruce Grove is not going away.
Following the transition, Alberta Health Services has committed to stationing two Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances in the community. Spruce Grove Fire Services will also continue providing Advanced Life Support Medical First Response (MFR), with dedicated fire staffing and MFR service levels remaining unchanged.
On-site patient care practices will also remain consistent with current operations.
Why Council made this decision
Council's decision was guided by two important considerations: maintaining emergency medical services for residents and ensuring taxpayers receive value for the dollars they contribute.
Under the Province's proposed benchmark funding model, the City would have been required to provide a growing municipal subsidy for ambulance service while receiving no additional ambulances, no enhancement in service levels, no improved response capability, and no additional control over dispatch, deployment, or system operations.
The projected municipal subsidy was approximately $937,846 in Year 1, with additional increases anticipated in future years.
After reviewing the information available, Council concluded that asking local taxpayers to pay significantly more for a service that would remain largely unchanged was not in the community's long-term interest.
"Council would not have supported this transition if we believed residents would receive a lower standard of emergency medical care," said Mayor Jeff Acker. "While the service delivery model is changing, our commitment to public safety remains the same.
“At the heart of this conversation is a simple question: will residents continue receiving quality emergency medical care when they need it? The answer is yes. Once we were satisfied that emergency medical care, local ambulances, Medical First Response, and strong fire protection would remain in place, we had to determine whether asking taxpayers to contribute almost $1 million a year, with that amount continuing to grow, was justified without any corresponding increase in service, response capability, or local control. We unanimously concluded it was not, and this decision was made thoughtfully, carefully, and with the long-term interests of Spruce Grove residents in mind."
A model used across Alberta
With its transition to EHS delivery of ambulance services, the City of Spruce Grove is not stepping into unchartered territory.
Integrated fire and ambulance service delivery is relatively uncommon in Alberta. Following the transition, Spruce Grove will receive ambulance service through the same delivery model used by almost all 300+ municipalities across the province, with EHS responsible for dispatch, deployment and system management.
Looking ahead
The City continues to work with EHS to support a smooth transition of ambulance service delivery on November 1. This includes finalizing arrangements to house EHS ambulances within the Protective Services building.
The City will continue to share detailed information about the transition and keep the community up-to-date with all developments. The City will also continue monitoring service levels, advocating for residents and working with the Provincial government to ensure emergency medical services continue to meet the needs of the community as Spruce Grove grows.
The City also wishes to expresses its appreciation to the firefighters, paramedics, and emergency responders who serve residents every day and acknowledged the important role they will continue to play in protecting the community.
For quick reference information, please see below for a brief guide to what will not change under the City’s transition of ambulance services to EHS, as well as answers to commonly asked questions.
For full details about the transition decision process, timelines and outcomes, please visit our Ambulance Service Transition page.
What is not changing as part of the transition
Ambulances
- Two ALS ambulances will continue to be stationed in Spruce Grove.
- EHS has committed to housing those ambulances within the community.
- The City is finalizing a lease arrangement for space within the Protective Services building.
Medical First Response
- ALS Medical First Response remains in place.
- Spruce Grove Fire Services will continue responding to critical medical emergencies.
- Existing MFR staffing remains unchanged.
- Existing MFR apparatus remains unchanged.
- Existing MFR response capability remains unchanged.
Fire Services
- Dedicated fire staffing remains unchanged.
- Fire protection capability remains unchanged.
- Mutual aid relationships remain unchanged.
Patient Care
- Patient care standards remain unchanged.
Non-Critical Patients
- For patients who do not require advanced care during transport:
- ALS personnel assess and treat the patient.
- Care may be transferred to BLS personnel for transport.
- This occurs today and will continue following transition.
Critical Patients
- For patients requiring advanced care:
- ALS personnel continue providing advanced care.
- ALS-trained personnel remain involved during transport when required.
- This occurs today and will continue following transition.
Addressing common questions
Throughout the process, the City has received questions and feedback from residents regarding several aspects of the decision. Answers to these questions may be found below.
No. EHS has committed to stationing two ALS ambulances in Spruce Grove, operating as part of Alberta's provincial Emergency Medical Services system.
Under existing contract arrangements, the City has little to no control on how, where and when ambulances are dispatched. Presently approximately 50% of calls to which local contracted ambulances are dispatched are outside our community (this rate is as high as 65% at times).
Nonetheless, approximately 80% of calls within Spruce Grove are responded to by local contracted ambulances.
With two ALS ambulances to remain stationed in Spruce Grove, and no material changes to control over dispatching, there is no anticipated changes to these service levels.
Dispatch, deployment, and system management decisions are already controlled by EHS. Those realities exist today regardless of the delivery model. The City will continue monitoring service levels and advocating for residents.
Yes. Spruce Grove Fire Services will continue to provide Advanced Life Support Medical First Response. Staffing levels, apparatus and service levels will remain unchanged.
On-site patient care procedures will continue to follow current practices. Critical patients who require advanced care will continue receiving ALS-level care during transport when medically necessary.
The City was offered the same extension option. However, this extension was not simply additional time to consider options. Accepting the extension required municipalities to agree to the benchmark rate and commit to a longer-term arrangement at the end of the extension period.
The extension was intended to provide a budgeting transition period for municipalities willing to accept the benchmark model, not additional time for further negotiation or reconsideration. Since Council did not support the benchmark model, the extension was not considered a viable option.